What You’ve Missed

My Favorite Things

When I was in Iraq, I went to church services every week, and during one service the Chaplain was talking about finding your Joy. He said that happiness is a passing feeling and only temporary; certain things we want will make us happy…until they don’t. Finding your joy is something more permanent, so you should do things that make you happy, but at the same time your ultimate goal in life should be to find your joy. Since finding your joy is will take a long time, I’m going to talk about things that make me happy. We all have a list of our favorite things and this is mine.

(Side note: The list doesn’t include Lorenzo because even though he does make me happy, these are things that I like to do for myself that don’t include him.)

Books. I love to read. I always have. Ever since third grade I read anything I could get my hands on, should have been paying rent at my local library, and keep having a reoccurring dream about living next door to a Barnes & Noble. Growing up, I read a great deal of fiction but after I started college I switched to non-fiction and psychology. I wish I had more time to read, but the life of an adult requires me to work for a pay check and not read for pleasure (I really wish that could be a real job). E-readers and free e-book websites are the greatest inventions of all time. GoodReads is my new favorite website and I’m making it a mission to read more for pleasure this year- even if I have to invest in audiobooks. Some of my favorites: The Alchemist, The Diary of a Young Girl, The Art of Seduction, The 48 Laws of Power,The 4 Agreements, and The 5 People You Meet in Heaven.

Shopping. I don’t know what it is about women and shopping but there is something about it that is so rewarding and therapeutic. You get this sort of “high” that I think is so amazing, even if it is only temporary. Some people smoke cigarettes, some people drink, some people run, some paint…I shop. I don’t only like to shop for myself, but other people too. I pride myself on giving great gifts. And because I understand the difference between “fashion” and “style” I don’t run out and purchase the latest look that is trending. I’m not too fond of loud colors and crazy patterns, and I don’t like to look like a clone of everyone else. Sometimes its just something to do, but it’s always great…and what do I like to buy?

Girly Things. I love makeup, and I love shoes. I have a lot of clothes, but most of the time I build my outfits around my shoes. I’m not a snob about these things; I don’t have a price point, I’m not a label whore. On a vacation in Florida 2 years ago, my friends and I found a $10 shoe store and I almost lost my mind. I don’t have any specific brands that I love; if I like it, and the price is right, I get it. I think I love the girly things because of the Army. I was a tomboy most of my life, until 16 when my grandmother literally threw all of my boy’s clothes in the trash and bought me dresses, shoes, fitted jeans, and skirts. Her philosophy was, “You’re a girl, and you are going to look like one”. Even though I liked dressing up, I really didn’t start to appreciate it until after I joined the Army and was forced to live like an animal; you’ll never fully appreciate your femininity until someone takes it away. After that I went full force and I make no excuses for it.

Saving. Trust me, I am well aware that in order to purchase anything on my list that I would first need money to do so. I never had much growing up, so I told myself that when I was an adult that I would work hard in order to buy the things that I wanted, whenever I wanted. Even though I wasn’t a finance major, I think learning how to manage and maximize your income is important. When I finally learned how to invest in stocks, you couldn’t tell me anything. Mint is great for managing your money, and Money Magazine is pretty awesome too. I read the book Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich when it was first released and part of the homework was to take the time to read something about finance, just like you take the time to read fashion magazines. My motto, you can’t buy anything if you don’t have money. And Finally….

Puppies. I mean, who doesn’t like puppies? They’re adorable, and they don’t turn into teenagers.